Tom and Margo after Bob's stroke
by wahoo93
Summary: This is my version of a scene I wish they'd shown on 1211. It's Tom's reaction to his dad's stroke and Margo comforting him.


Margo walks back into the waiting room carrying coffees for everyone. As she sets them down on the table, she scans the room looking for Tom. "Where's Tom?" she asks no one in particular.

"I thought he was with you, dear," Lisa says, reaching for one of the coffees.

Margo shakes her head distractedly, wondering where her husband has gone. He's been so strong for Kim and the rest of the family. She knows though that the thought of losing his father is killing him inside. She starts to take out her cell phone to call Tom, but then has an idea of where he might be.

Her suspicion is confirmed when she reaches Bob's office. Looking through the partially open door, she sees Tom standing, looking out the window. Quietly entering the room, she goes over to him. "Baby?" she whispers.

When he turns around, she sees he's crying. He bites his lip as another tear rolls down his cheek. Margo cups his cheek and wipes the tear away with her thumb. As he lets out a sob, she gathers him in her arms. She holds him tightly as he cries. "I know...I know..." she soothes as she rubs his back.

Tom holds onto Margo as tightly as he can. Now that he's let himself cry, he finds it's difficult to stop. He buries his face in her shoulder and tries to concentrate on the sound of her voice and the feel of her arms around him.

Margo finds her own tears coming as her heart breaks for her husband. When his sobs finally cease, she pulls away from him and leads him by the hand over to the couch. She sits down, pulling him down beside her. Laying back, she takes him back in her arms and silently holds him again.

Tom lays his head down on her chest, listening to the sound of her heart beating. "I'm sorry," he whispers.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, honey."

"No, I'm sorry I left and didn't tell you where I was."

"That's ok. I figured you needed to get away for a little bit. I kinda guessed where you went."

"I just...I just couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to be strong for Kim and Gram. I didn't want them to see me lose it."

Margo runs her hand through his hair. "It's ok, baby. I understand. You've been a rock for them, but I know this is so hard for you too."

Tom sighs. "Yeah, it is."

"You wanna talk about it?" she asks.

Tom sits back up, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He looks at Margo, who has sat up beside him, with her legs tucked under her. "I guess I just never thought something like this could happen to my dad. I mean I always thought he was invincible. And now, to look at him lying there like that... with all those tubes and wires...so lifeless."

"He's going to get better, Tom. We have to keep believing that."

"But what if...what if he doesn't?" Tom's lip starts to quiver as he fights fresh tears. "I can't remember when the last time I told him I loved him was..." he starts to cry again, thinking he may never have a chance to let his dad know how much he means to him.

Margo takes his hands in hers. "He knows you love him, honey. He knows."

"Yeah, but I should have told him more often. I should have spent more time with him. I shouldn't have given him such a hard time when I was a teenager. I should have been a better son."

"Tom, you're a wonderful son, and you'll have more chances to tell him how much you love him. You will," she says earnestly.

Tom shakes his head, frustrated that the tears won't stop coming. "And seeing him and Kim...they thought they had all this time left to spend together...and to see her begging for him to come back to her..."

Margo bites her lip, remembering how less than a year ago she had begged Tom to come back to her when he had his heart attack. All she can do is whisper, "I know."

Tom continues, "And, God help me, I can't help thinking, what if that was you lying in there, Margo? I mean, you think you have all this time to spend with the person you love...to tell them you love them...to kiss them and hold them...but it can all be taken away in a second. I don't know what Kim would do without Bob, they've been married almost as long as we have...and I couldn't live my life without you." Tom falls silent, caressing Margo's cheek with the back of his hand.

Margo turns his hand over and holds it against her face for a moment before kissing his palm. "There are no guarantees in life, you know that," she says gently. "There's a risk you take when you let yourself love someone with your whole heart...with every fiber of your being. But it's worth the risk. Every evening that we get to kiss eachother goodnight and every morning that we get to wake up in eachother's arms is a gift. Everyday is precious. We just need to pray that Bob comes back to Kim and be there for her in case...in case he doesn't."

Tom leans his forehead against Margo's. "I don't know how I'd get through this without you, sweetie. I need you so much."

Holding the back of his head, Margo kisses him tenderly. When their lips part, she keeps her forehead on his and looks into his eyes. She knows that this kind of contact is one thing that has always given them both comfort.

When they finally pull apart, Tom smiles faintly and shakes his head. "You know what I keep remembering?"

"What, baby?"

"When I was kid, Dad had this antique toy plane that I always wanted to play with. He kept it up on a shelf and told me it was only to look at because it was so fragile. He loved that plane. I think his father had given it to him when he was a kid. Anyway, once when he was at work, I pulled a chair over to that shelf and took down the plane. I told myself I was just going to get a better look at it, but I couldn't help myself and soon I was running around the room playing with it."

Margo smiles, picturing Tom as a kid playing with the forbidden airplane. "I bet you were cute."

"Well Gram didn't think so when she heard a crash and came running in to find me on the floor with broken pieces of airplane scattered everywhere. I had tripped and let go of the plane. She made me pick up all the pieces and wait in my room until Dad got home. Man, those were the longest three hours of my life. I just knew he was going to be furious with me. I figured I'd pretty much be grounded to my room for the rest of my life. But you know what? He wasn't mad. He said he was disappointed that I'd disobeyed him. And he did ground me- until the plane was fixed. Every night when he got home from work, he and I worked together repairing that plane. It took a couple weeks. Everyday we'd work... and we'd talk...about all sorts of things. I don't even remember what we talked about now...just that we talked. And it was some of the best time I ever spent with my dad when I was a kid." Tom pauses for a moment trying to keep his composure. "I'd give anything to have that kind of time back now," he finishes in a choked voice.

"Oh, Tom," Margo whispers, moved by what he's just shared with her. "You know, honey, the doctor said that your dad might be able to hear and understand us. You should tell him about that memory the next time you visit him. He'd get a kick out of knowing you remembered that. And those are the memories we need to hold onto right now. The memories and our family's love...that's what'll get us through this."

Tom smiles, "You know, I married a very smart woman."

"Yeah? And don't you forget that," she laughs softly. She leans in to give him one more kiss.

When she pulls back, he holds the back of her head and brings her lips back to his one more time. Savoring the feel of her lips on his, he kisses her more deeply this time. When they finally part he sighs, "I guess we should be getting back to everyone."

Margo nods. Standing up, she pulls him to his feet. She gives him one more kiss on his cheek. Putting their arms around eachother they head back to their family.


End file.
